Christmas Shoes
by Walkinthegarden
Summary: While buying last minute Christmas gifts, Hotch runs into a familiar little boy. The little boy tells him a sad tale... his mother's tale.


_It was almost Christmas time_

I smiled softly as he walked towards the check out. It was Christmas Eve, tomorrow I was going over to Haley's sister's house for Christmas with Jack. He hadn't seen her since the funeral, nine years ago.

Jack was excited to see her and had been pestering me all week about what we would get her for Christmas.

_  
There I stood in another line_

I got into the line behind a little boy and a man. The man was talking with the teenager at the checkout. They were taking a while, but that was ok with me… I knew Jack wouldn't be in any hurry to leave Emily's house.

"Merry Christmas Davy," a girl, not much older then twelve, said as she walked over to the teenager.

"Merry Christmas Chelsea," he told her with a smile. "You're pa drunk again?" he asked her, half ignoring the impatient man he was helping.

"Yeah," she said sadly. "Can I help?"

"Yeah," he pointed to a woman behind him, staking shoe boxes, "Nancy needs to head home and relieve the girl she hired to take care of her daughter Emma."

"Ok," she said as she took off her coat and walked over to the woman.

_  
Trying to buy that last gift or two_

I looked down at the two boxes of shoes, one pair being a pair of snow boots for Jack, and a pair of gym shoes for Reid. I knew it was last minute, but I had been at a loss for what to get Reid for Christmas.

Garcia had insisted on a secret Santa this year, and I got Reid. I'd thought about getting him a book or movie, when I overhear Reid telling Morgan how he needed a new pair of gym shoes.

_  
I'm really in the Christmas mood  
Standing right in front of me  
Was a little boy waiting anxiously_

The boy in front of me seemed anxious, like he had somewhere to be. He was looking around him. He looked a bit like Jack, only younger. He had one hand shoved in his pocket, playing with something in it. He was also chewing on his bottom lip, a habit I was very familiar with.

JJ had had that same habit, chewing on her lip when she was upset. But she left the BAU, a few weeks after Haley died. No one had heard from her since. Will was fired from his job and it seemed the couple had disappeared with their baby. The only thing that told the team that JJ wasn't dead, was the Christmas cards that were hand delivered to the BAU. She delivered them, sometimes Will, but they never seemed to catch her in time. They had been so close once, but she still disappeared.

_  
Pacing around like little boys do  
And in his hands he held  
A pair of shoes_

He held a box of shoes in his dirty hands. I could tell by the design on the box that they were women's shoes. What did he want with them? He kept opening the box, as if making sure the shoes were still there.

Did the kid know how expensive those shoes where? Or had he just grabbed them of the shelf?

_And his clothes were worn and old  
He was dirty from head to toe  
And when it came his time to pay  
I couldn't believe what I heard him say_

He was dirty and had worn clothing, but their was something about him. His face was small and innocent, but it was also familiar. He had shaggy blonde hair and brown eyes, familiar brown eyes.

He stepped forward when his turn came. What he said next surprised me.

_Sir I wanna buy these shoes for my Momma please  
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size  
Could you hurry Sir?  
Daddy says there's not much time  
You see, she's been sick for quite a while  
And I know these shoes will make her smile  
And I want her to look beautiful  
If Momma meets Jesus, tonight._

"Sir, I wanna buy these shoes, for my Momma please. It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size. Could you hurry Sir? Daddy says there's not much time. You see, she's been sick for quite a while, and I know these shoes will make her smile; and I want her to look beautiful if Momma meets Jesus, tonight," he said sadly as he pushed the box towards the teenager. I looked up to see Chelsea give the boy a smile before returning to work. The teenager smiled at him as he scanned the item.

_They counted pennies for what seem like years  
And cashier says son there's not enough here  
He searches is pockets franticly  
And he turned and he looked at me_

I stayed silent as I watched them count the change the boy had emptied from his pocket.

"I'm sorry, son, theirs not enough here," the teenager said sadly. I saw Chelsea look up from her work. She put down the box she was holding and walked over to them. She stared down at the pile of money, as if wishing it would suddenly become the right amount.

The boy started searching his pockets; he was only five dollars short. He managed to find two more dollars, but his luck ran out. He was three dollars short.

_  
And he said Momma made Christmas good at our house  
Most years she just did without  
Tell me Sir  
What am I gonna do?  
Some how I've got to buy her these Christmas shoes_

He turned to face me, tears in his eyes. "Mama always made sure Christmas was good at our house, and most years, she did with out. Tell me sir, what am I gonna do? Somehow I have to buy her these shoes," he told me as the tears started to fall from his eyes. A woman passing me muttered something about the fact that he shouldn't be asking for money, but I knew he wasn't. He was just telling me, not asking for something. His face broke my heart, he was heartbroken. I needed him to smile.

"It's ok," I told him. He looked at me in confusion, but Chelsea understood.

"Thank you Sir," she said with a sad, but warm smile.

_So I layed the money down  
I just had to help him out  
And I'll never forget  
The look on his face  
When he said Mamma's gonna look so great._

I put the missing money on the counter as well as three extra dollars. I pointed to a candy cane and asked it to be put in the box. A smile instantly replaced the sad frown as he stared at me. His eyes glowed with excitement as he wrapped his thin arms around me. My heart grew warm at the gesture.

The teenager smiled as he put the shoes and candy cane into a bag, before handing it to the boy. Chelsea was grinning happily, tears in her eyes. I knew just by looking at her that she knew this little boy, most likely his dieing mother too.

_Sir I wanna buy these shoes, for my Momma please  
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size  
Could you hurry Sir?  
Daddy says there's not much time  
You see, she's been sick for quite a while  
And I know these shoes will make her smile  
And I want her to look beautiful,  
If Momma meets Jesus tonight._

I thought of Jack as I watched him. He let go of me smiled up at me one last time.

I knew I caught a glimpse of heavens love as he thanked me and ran out.  
I know that God had sent that little boy to remind me  
What Christmas is all about

"Thank you Sir," he said with a wide smile, before grabbing the shoes and running form the store. I saw something fall from his pocket as he ran. I lay my things down and walked over to it. What surprised me was that it was a photograph; I picked it up. I felt my heart grow heavy as I stared at the three faces staring up at me.

Everything clicked into place. I knew who the boy was.

Will LaMontagne, JJ LaMontagne, and Henry LaMontagne where staring up at me. JJ was in a hospital bed with what looked like a four year old Henry lying at her side. Will was staring down at his sleeping son and wife.

_Sir I wanna buy these shoes for my Momma please  
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size  
Could you hurry Sir?  
Daddy says there's not much time  
You see she's been sick for quite a while  
And I know these shoes will make her smile  
And I want her to look beautiful  
If Mamma meets Jesus tonight_

That boy, he had been Henry, that very small child I'd held when I came to see JJ in the hospital. Quickly I paid for my things and asked Chelsea what hospital his mother was at. She told me with no hesitation before wishing me a Merry Christmas. I got into my car and drove to St. Nicolas Hospital. I entered through the visitors section and asked the lady at the front desk for JJ's room number.

"Room 273," she told me with a sad smile as I walked over to the elevator. When I got to the second floor, I flagged down a nurse.

"May I ask what's wrong with the woman in 273, she's an old friend of mine," I told her.

"It's the saddest thing," the nurse said sadly, "she has heart disease and she's not expected to make it through the night. She's going to leave behind a beautiful son and a husband." Technically the nurse shouldn't have told me that, but I didn't care. I walked over to the counter, where I had a clear view of the window that looked into JJ's room.

She had a tired smile on her face, but she looked happy. Henry had crawled into her bed and given her the box. Will sat down at the foot of JJ's bed, a sad smile on his face. She smiled and hugged Henry when she saw the contents of the box. Will took the box from her and slipped off the hospital slippers from her feet. He put her shoes on. She grinned at him and kissed her son's forehead. She said something to Will; he nodded and picked her up. He held her in his arms and started to sway to invisible music. Tears were slipping down his face.

I knew she was dead when he sank to his knees, her thin body never leaving his arms. I closed my eyes and bowed my head as tears started to fall from my eyes.

_I want her to look beautiful  
If Mamma meets Jesus tonight_


End file.
